Immunosuppression News and Research

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Immunosuppression involves an act that reduces the activation or efficacy of the immune system. Some portions of the immune system itself have immuno-suppressive effects on other parts of the immune system, and immunosuppression may occur as an adverse reaction to treatment of other conditions.

Transplant recipients benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine booster

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server describes the reduction in humoral immunity in SOTR following vaccination, as well as the improvement with an additional dose of the vaccine.

4 Jan 2022

BNT162b2 provides low vaccine responders adequate anti-spike and neutralizing antibodies to prevent SARS-CoV-2

A new study, published on the medRxiv* preprint server, investigated the changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels among HCWs after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The study also assessed whether low responders produced sufficient SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and neutralizing antibodies.

4 Jan 2022

Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in fully vaccinated individuals

New study findings showed that the SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections are rare and show mild or asymptomatic profiles generally. The breakthrough infection occurs early after vaccination in almost 50% of the cases within 70 to 80 days post full vaccination.

30 Dec 2021

Younger cancer patients at particularly increased risk of mortality from COVID-19

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis were conducted to identify the impact of SARS-CoV-2 in cancer patients based on tumor type, age, and treatment, and any novel risk factors for COVID-19 in cancer patients

21 Dec 2021

A nematode infection can become severe and deadly with the use of corticosteroids

Healthcare workers in tropical and sub-tropical settings where strongyloidiasis is prevalent or caring for patients who have travelled to such areas, need to maintain a high level of awareness about the use of corticosteroids, including when this class of anti-inflammatories is given to patients suspected of infection with SARS-CoV-2.

19 Dec 2021

Scientists develop new immunotherapy for cancer based on transplant rejection mechanism

A team of scientists at the University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet and Karolinska Institutet, led by Professor Johanna Olweus, has developed a new type of immunotherapy for cancer.

18 Dec 2021

Weak T-cell clonal response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in IBD patients deficient in antibody-responders

Researchers investigate the post-vaccination clonal T-cell response and its relationship to antibody responses in IBD patients.

15 Dec 2021

Impact of exogenous antibody therapy by convalescent plasma against SARS-CoV-2

Researches have been investigating the possibility of using convalescent plasma to help patients recover from COVID-19.

15 Dec 2021

An assessment of pH-sensitive cationic lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery

A recent review looks at the molecular design of pH-sensitive cationic lipids and their applications for various tissues and cell types.

7 Dec 2021

Vaccine-induced immune responses for SARS-CoV-2 in patients receiving anti-CD20 B-cell depleting therapies

A new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server analyzed the trajectories of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients from the RituxiVac study were compared to healthy volunteers. In addition, they investigated the immunogenicity of a third vaccine dose in previously non-responding patients.

23 Nov 2021

Oral Hsp90 inhibitor SNX-5422 interferes with replication machinery of SARS-CoV-2

A new study evaluates the efficacy of SNX-5422 as a post-exposure prophylactic treatment.

23 Nov 2021

People taking immunosuppressant produce weaker, shorter-lived antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination

People who received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine while on TNF inhibitors -; a class of immunosuppressants used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions -; generated less powerful and shorter-lived antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19 than healthy people and those on other kinds of immunosuppressants, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

21 Nov 2021

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection associated with housing instability

Researchers examine the impact of demographic factors and antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.

17 Nov 2021

SARS-CoV-2 protease suppresses host immune response by cleaving NEMO

A recent study conducted by a team of US-based scientists has highlighted a novel function of 3C-like protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The protease has been found to cleave a human immune signaling protein called NF-kB Essential Modulator (NEMO) and disrupt the host immune response.

16 Nov 2021

Study reveals how certain cells drive immunotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer mouse model

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of cancer treatment that help the immune system's T cells recognize and attack tumors. But these immunotherapy drugs aren't effective against all cancers.

12 Nov 2021

Risk of severe COVID-19 is rare among fully vaccinated individuals in England

A team of UK-based scientists has recently estimated the prevalence of vaccine breakthrough infections and severe disease in a large number of individuals fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in England.

10 Nov 2021

Antibody response of COVID-19 patients to SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronaviruses

Scientists conducted a cohort study and measured the prevalence and the levels of antibody responses to the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 and four seasonal human coronaviruses.

3 Nov 2021

RA patients taking glucocorticoids or B-cell therapies may have worse COVID-19 vaccine response

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, shows that people with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who take immunosuppressive therapy appear to have an impaired immunity response to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, vaccines. Patients currently on glucocorticoids or B-cell depleting therapy appear to have an even more severely impeded vaccine response.

2 Nov 2021

Effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in immunocompromised individuals

Israeli researchers evaluate the antibody response in ICPs to assess antibody-mediated immunity following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

26 Oct 2021

An investigation of three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA doses in multiple sclerosis vaccine non-responders

A clinical study by a team of scientists from Norway aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of a third dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in MS patients treated with anti-CD20 therapy or fingolimod. A preprint version of the study, which is yet to undergo peer review, is available on the medRxiv* server.

20 Oct 2021